Altering Your Engine With New Chips

NY Times ^ | Published: February 13, 2004 | By JIM MOTAVALLI

[Russian Sage]

Altering Your Engine With New Chips

By JIM MOTAVALLI

Published: February 13, 2004

WHEN Scott Farrell, a Coast Guard instructor in Newport News, Va., wanted a big power boost for his 1998 Volkswagen Jetta TDI, he didn't lower the suspension, install a hot camshaft or add a free-flow exhaust. Instead, he had a business-card size electronic part installed — a so-called "performance chip" designed to reprogram the car's engine control module to provide more horsepower. "It was a night-and-day difference," he said.

Mr. Farrell is just one of an increasing number of car owners using computer chips or software downloads to get better performance from their cars. E-mechanics are reprogramming systems to overwrite factory settings and take advantage of higher-octane gasoline. That allows advanced timing, increased power, sometimes even better mileage. Steve Dinan, founder of Dinan Engineering, a maker of high-performance parts for BMW's, said he now sells more than $1 million worth of chips annually — a significant share of what he estimates is a $20 million market.

[Russian Sage]

Frisk free entry at http://www.google.com/...

[Ron in Acreage]

Superchips.com is where its at.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Nine times out of ten it is illegal to muck about with the family sleigh factory settings. Don't be surprised if the damn thing turns you in to the feds via it's computer squealing on you.

[NewRomeTacitus]

The "Terminator" movie scenario of SkyNet is just around the corner. Imagine walking outside to find your car trying to run you down.
These ever-advancing components already intrigue legislators with the promise of tracking, speed curtailment and remote engine shut-off.

[quietolong]

NHRA News: Legislation threatens vehicle hobby industry
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/592530/posts

[Consort]

Auto-overclocking.

[NewRomeTacitus]

"...that would federally fund state scrappage programs for vehicles more than 15 years old"

Yeah, those poor dealerships are overstocked and we're not responding fast enough to their low, low prices and zero percent financing.

"You know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna get myself a 1967 Cadillac El Dorado convertible, hot pink with whale skin hub caps and all leather cow interior and big brown baby seal eyes for headlights, yeah! And I'm gonna drive around in that baby at 115mph getting one mile per gallon, sucking down quarter pounder cheese burgers from McDonald's in the old-fashioned non-biodegradable Styrofoam containers and when I'm done sucking down those grease ball burgers, I'm gonna wipe my mouth with the Mexican flag and then I'm gonna toss the Styrofoam container right out the side and there ain't a G*d damned thing anybody can do about it. You know why? Because we got the bombs, that's why..."
-Dennis Leary, "No Cure For Cancer", slightly modified.

[quietolong]

LOL

Like Hell is the Feds getting my 86 CJ or Chev 78 P/U With the large outside tanks

[stylin19a]

Chip technology works. I found an old bag of chips under the front seat. I threw them out, which lightened the load. Now my car goes faster.

[norraad]

I love my old rides too, all the "new" cars are ugly as sin.

Like eggs laid by an overachieving chicken.

I know I'm not alone anymore, more on the road with over 200,000 miles than ever before.